OUR VIEW: Get off the couch and go to the fair

It’s not unusual for the average college student to consume a half pint of double-chocolate ice cream for dinner. It doesn’t require any cooking or preparation and fits the trend perfectly of continually sitting on the couch and watching the waistline grow. But now that those jeans do not seem to fit just right, it is time to get off of the couch and become healthy.
    Americans today are facing the worldwide epidemic of obesity. Why? We have become a lazy society. We are people who expect things to come easily and not lift a hand for anyone. We are a pathetic example of a nation who can overpower and win a fight. There are no benefits to being slow and round. We need to slim our waistlines, get off the couch, put away the ice cream and become healthy. Life will only become better.
    Becoming and living healthy has many positives that we seem to forget when the thought of sweat and sore muscles creep into our minds. For example, water and a regular exercise routine not only tones muscles, but it clears up the skin and those disgusting colonies of zits on your face seem to dwindle.
    Plus, after walking up the treacherous Old Main Hill, a little exercise will enable the body to climb up those steep stairs while carrying on a conversation and avoiding stopping every few feet.
    But living healthy is not all about the great way our bodies feel, it incorporates what we do best – study. Exercise opens the mind and retains information much easier. Those excellent exam grades you hope to place on the fridge all semester long can be even one step closer if the body is in good shape. Exercise also helps the body sleep better and more soundly. You receive a more productive sleep when a little bodily activity is involved in the day. The immune system is also strengthened so upset stomachs, runny noses and coughs are not as frequent and you won’t be absent when that pop quiz is given in class. 
    A healthy you is not that hard to achieve. All we need to do is put down the remote, put on some running shoes and move. Opportunities are lurking in every corner and are endless. As college students we need to take advantage of the healthy living programs that are available to us. Participate in the annual Body Acceptance Fair or the healthy living challenge currently on campus.
    Years down the road, when we can’t see our feet over our hefty stomachs, we will regret not grasping what is available to us today. Make the decision now to make wiser living choices. Choose water over the soda or instead of sitting and watching a movie when you are in need of a little studying break, go for a jog. Get up, get moving and say goodbye to that large waistline. 

Pats and Jabs
    A pat on the back to USU’s handball team for making school history.
    And a jab in the ribs to people who think dissent equals disloyalty.